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The Kill Artist
}} is the first book in the Gabriel Allon series. Gabriel Allon is recalled to the service of Israel after the Israeli ambassador is killed in Paris by an old enemy. Vienna In January 1991, Mario Delvecchio finishes his work as an art restorer for the day and goes to meet his wife and son for supper. Afterward, he escorts them to their car because they are returning to Israel. The car fails to start then explodes, killing the man's son and gravely injuring his wife. Cornwall A stranger is living in Port Navas, Cornwall. Timothy Peel, a bored youngster, begins watching the stranger's activities and learns that he is an art restorer. The stranger offers Timothy a job watching his residence. Paris Tariq al-Hourani blows up the car of Zev Eliyahu, the Israeli ambassador, killing Eliyahu, his wife and two bodyguards. He then shoots and kills Emily Parker, an American student he had being seeing as cover. The Office Ari Shamron has returned to his old position as director of the Office, which has lately been through a series of disasters. All is not completely well; Shamron is saddled with Lev Ahroni as his operations chief. He watches international news feeds and takes innocuous notes. Shamron calls Uzi Navot in Paris and issues some instructions, then travels to Jerusalem to brief the prime minister. He identifies the perpetrator as Tariq al-Hourani and asks permission to assassinate him. The prime minister says yes. Shamron collects more information over the next few days and decides to go into the field. Al-Hourani Tariq al-Hourani arrives late to a villa on the island of Samos. He finds Achmed Natour waiting for him with a message fro Kemel Azouri that Azouri wants to meet with him. Al-Hourani asks Natour what he has been doing all day and, believing that Natour's actions are a threat to his security, he kills Natour. Al-Hourani meets with Azouri, who tells him that the Office suspects him of killing the ambassador and that Leila Khalifa has provided for his next layover, in Amsterdam. Finally, Azouri tells al-Hourani that he has been targeted for assassination by "an old friend." Recruitments and Positions Ari Shamron shows up at the "sometimes solvent" Isherwood Fine Arts and tells Julian Isherwood that he needs to speak with Gabriel. Julian initially refuses to disclose Gabriel's location, claiming that without the painting Gabriel is restoring he will go bankrupt. After lunch, some wine and a promise of cash input from an anonymous investor, Julian gives in to Shamron. Ari goes to Cornwall and tells Gabriel that Tariq al-Hourani, who killed Dani and maimed Leah, killed the ambassador in Paris; he convinces Gabriel to return to active service with Israel. Ari meets with a publisher named Benjamin Stone who agrees to provide cash for the operstion but refuses to assist Julian. Ari meets with Gabriel and tells him the operation is approved; Gabriel responds that Ari should leave England and let him do his work for Israel. Jacqueline Delacroix, a fashion model who had worked with Gabriel during Operation Wrath of God and with whom she had an affair, has a bad experience at a photo shoot by Michel Dumont; her friend Marcel Lambert tells her to take some time and go on a trip. Gabriel rents an apartment from which he observe the activities of Yusef al-Tawfiki, a Palestinian known to be an associate of Tariq al-Hourani; he begins to surveil Tawfiki. Gabriel hires Randall Karp, a former member of the Central Intelligence Agency, to set up listening devices to monitor Tawfiki.